The Australian film industry is mourning distribution and exhibition executive Ian Sands, who died on July 30 in hospital in Melbourne from complications following a heart transplant. He was 56.
The highly respected and popular executive oversaw the release of many hundreds of films during a long tenure at Roadshow Films. He began in the industry in 1972 as an assistant booker for 20th Century Fox in Melbourne. The following year he joined Village Theatres as an Assistant Programmer and was later promoted to Programming Manager and Film Buyer for the Village circuit nationally. In the mid-1980s he was appointed General Sales Manager for Roadshow Film Distributors while continuing his programming role with Village.
In the early 1990s he concentrated on distribution and was promoted to Managing Director of Roadshow Film Pty Ltd in the mid-90s, and was named Chairman in 2000. In 2003 he became General Manager Special Projects for Village Roadshow Limited, focusing chiefly on anti-piracy efforts in Australia and in other territories where Village Roadshow operated, including New Zealand, Greece, Singapore, Argentina and Italy.
In 2004 he was appointed Director of Operations at Reading Entertainment Australia. In 2005 he was elected as the Australian Cinema Pioneers' 64th National President. Congenital heart problems dogged his last year as he awaited a heart transplant.
Typical of the many industry tributes, Paramount Pictures Australian Managing Director Mike Selwyn said, “This is a great loss to all of us. Ian was one of life's gentlemen and will be sorely missed.”
Said Roadshow's Brett Rosengarten, “To me he was my first boss in the film industry, a friend and a mentor. To everyone, he was one of the world's great people and an inspiration to anyone who met him.”
Anthony Vogels, Los Angeles-based Vice President, International Film Development at IMAX Corporation, said, “Ian gave my first break in the business over 23 years ago at Village. He knew his film and he understood the business. It is a tragic loss.”
He leaves his wife, Pam (pictured above with her husband), daughter Nicole and son Daniel. The funeral is being held at 2pm this Thursday August 5 at the Astor Theatre in St. Kilda, a drop kick from the original home of his beloved football team the Saints. In lieu of flowers the family has asked for donations to the Heart Foundation.
There will be a formal tribute to Ian at this month's Australian International Movie Convention on the Gold Coast.
